Whoa! Innocent until proven guilty!

It’s got my goat. And finally, after nearly years (nay, months) of staying away from all kinds of blogs, I’m here again to vent my spleen.

The Aarushi Talwar murder case, no less, has been the spur. If ever trial by media and an inefficient, bungling police force has ruined a man’s reputation and life, Rajesh Talwar, father of the 13-year-old who was found murdered in her room in Noida, would know.

Crucified, before evidence could be provided, not only by the ever deficient Noida police (remember the Nithari serial murder case?) but also by breathless anchors on 24-hour news channels, the dentist who had lost his daughter in the most gruesome manner was shackled and bundled into prison even before he could say “Not guilty.”

Yesterday, after days of incarceration, the CBI said Rajesh Talwar was innocent and therefore, was wrongfully held. Now, did they have solid evidence (murder weapon, confession?) to nail or even release the man, only weeks after they opposed his bail application? No. Just evidence that came from a lie-detector test that Rajkumar and his two buddies were the murderers.

Now, I happen to know a thing or two about lie detector tests, having seen one myself some years ago. The idea behind the lie detector or truth serum test is to take you to a different level of consciouness or sub consciousness so that the accused, reveals bits of information that may be useful to an investigation that he will not do when fully conscious.

Once they inject the sodium pentathol, the person slowly slips into a kind of half wakefulness. Then there are investigating officers who ask leading questions of him/her. For instance, in this case, Rajkumar might have been asked “Did you weild the weapon that slit Aarushi’s throat?” (just a sample). Now, sunk in a slumber-like state, Rajkumar may not respond. Some one will hit him sharply (sometimes in the face) and he will jerk into partial wakefulness with a grunt. That grunt will be taken to be the affirmative – the answer to the question.

Thankfully, a lie detector test isn’t enough to hang anyone. But then in India, the TV channels will, anyway, eh? Now they are getting breathless again about the innocent of Rajesh Talwar and guilt of Rajkumar and go. Can they not breathe deep and hard and wait for the case to be over. After all, we are guaranteed by law that we are innocent until proven guilty. By the courts, not kangaroo television studios.